


Healing Storm

by lil_Jo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn, Teen Romance, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:28:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26378062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_Jo/pseuds/lil_Jo
Summary: After the war ends Zuko has a lot that needs to get done. There's reducing the military, reorganizing the nobles and public officials, handling the colonies, and destroying the faction that wants to put Azula on the throne.Can he handle the pressures of ruling? Can he trust anyone around him? Can he unify the fire nation? Can he combat the prejudice and injustice that is second nature to his people? But most importantly, can he get those blue eyes out of his thoughts?
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Zuko yawned as he stumbled back into his bed chambers. It had only been a week since he had become Fire Lord and it was exhausting. There was so much that needed to get done and Zuko had no idea where to start on any of it. The government was in complete disarray since many of the nobles and the generals’ loyalties were unsure. Any of them could be secretly working against him. And a quarter of them had left to actively work against him.

Even the most loyal, the most trustworthy smile could be a lie. A front for an ambitious, power-hungry man, waiting for the right moment to strike. And as if that weren’t enough he had to deal with returning the colonies to the other nations and begin brokering peace. 

The first few days had been easier since Aang and the others had been there to show, and give, support. Plus it had mostly been ceremonies and parties of the end of the war and bringing about peace and friendship with the other nations. Now Zuko had endless meetings to attend and all of them had someone who was unhappy with something.

Zuko rubbed his shoulders and wondered if he should take a bath to ease some of the tension he felt but with one look at his bed, all other thoughts were drowned out by the thought of sleep. 

Without bothering to take his hair down or to change out of his clothes he flopped rather unceremoniously onto his bed. But nothing happened. Despite his tiredness, he laid there for what seemed like forever unable to fall asleep. Zuko was so frustrated. He knew he should have been able to sleep, after all, he could not get more tired than he was right now. 

Then he heard it. The noise was so faint, so innocent that Zuko questioned if he even heard it. But after years of being the blue spirit and sneaking around, he knew that sound was anything but innocent. 

Zuko calmed himself and stilled his breathing as he listened for the sounds of the person who was undoubtedly here to kill him. As he waited and listened Zuko felt the tension rise. Despite his slow breathing, his heart hammered inside his chest. Zuko gripped the blankets so hard his knuckles were surely white as he tried to keep himself as still as possible. 

As the moments stretched out into an eternity Zuko finally could feel the warmth of another being beside him. And as soon as he felt that presence he lashed out. Zuko sprung up and immediately unleashed several blasts of flame. His attacker, taken aback by surprise dodged out of the way, but not fast enough to avoid all of the flame attacks. 

The man yelped with pain as his leg caught on fire. But it did not stop him. The man rolled forward, towards Zuko and was suddenly close enough to stab him with his twin blades. As the first blade arched towards Zuko he fell backward off his bed and out of the way of the sharp blades. 

With the bed safely between him and his attacker, Zuko again blasted at him with his flames, but for some reason, they were not as effective as they should have been. The flames which should have easily reached the man across the bed barely reached halfway and as he had used his bending, the wound he had received when he had attempted to redirect Azula’s lightning began to hurt again. 

But Zuko had no time to consider such things as the assassin was suddenly right next to Zuko and was again swinging the dual blades. Zuko barely managed to dodge both blades as they arched through the air, again and again, each time missing Zuko only by a fraction. 

Zuko tried to use his fire bending to ward off his attacker but each time he used it his flames grew weaker and his wound hurt more. Sweat beaded down Zuko’s forehead as he began to consider that he might die this very night. 

As Zuko attempted again to dodge the swords but this time he wasn’t fast enough and the blade sliced through his side. He winced though he felt no pain which was a bad sign. 

Zuko stumbled backward as the assassin advanced with a slow precision like a tigerdillo stalking its prey. When Zuko’s back touched the wall he knew he had one chance. He held his ground fighting the urge to run or to dodge the attack. And at the last possible second, just as the sword was about to hit, Zuko dodged and began running. 

He didn’t bother to look back, the “Thud” was enough to tell him that the blade had sunk deep into the pillar. As Zuko ran he finally felt the warmth of blood pooling out of his wound and a second after the pain finally hit him. 

The sensation staggered him and he nearly collapsed at the sensation. But adrenalin and the knowledge that if he stopped he was dead pushed him on. But he barely made it off the front steps of his room when the assassin appeared in front of him. The blades arched once more and in a move born of desperation Zuko reached for the hilt and spun.


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko laid on the couch listening to the report about the factory districts. They had been hit hard at the end of the war. The factory districts had primarily been manufacturing weapons of war such as the ships and tanks and the like. With those things no longer in demand, the people had nothing to do and because they had no work they had no money for food and so they had begun to riot. 

Zuko had tried to send aid but that was only a temporary solution. What needed to happen was he needed to find a new line of work for those in the factory districts. And that was no easy task.  
Especially not when Mai was lying all over him and she was definitely very bored. She continually let out discontented sighs every couple of seconds and the way she was playing with his hair was very distracting. He wanted to tell Mai that now was neither the time nor place for this, but the way she had groused about not getting to see him outside of royal functions he thought better of it. 

As soon as the man had finished his report Zuko thanked him and then dismissed him. He didn’t want to dismiss the man. He wanted to call him back and work together with the palace officials to come up with a solution to this problem. But if he did Mai would be unhappy and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Plus his wound from Azula was still hurting quite a lot. 

All the physicians had told him that the pain was chronic and there was nothing they could do about it except dull the pain a bit. They also told him that his fire bending would most likely hurt from now on. Neither of which was good news. He was already having trouble unifying the nation under his banner. If the nobles found out that his fire bending was weaker because of an injury he sustained from Azula that would make even more people flock to her banner.  
But what was he supposed to do about it? There was nothing to be done. Or so all the experts in the kingdom claimed. But as Zuko worried about it Mai shifted and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“There’s so much at stake. Every decision I make has consequences that will affect the entire nation. I don’t know if I…” he trailed off wondering if he should be the one on the throne. Yes, he had been fighting towards the goal of the throne for much of his life but now that he had it doubts flooded him. Maybe someone stronger could lead the people better. Or someone wiser, like his Uncle Iroh. 

Mai sighed again, “Being dramatic as always I see.” She stared off into space for a few moments before looking at Zuko with a wicked grin, “Let’s order the servants to do something stupid.”

Now it was Zuko’s turn to sigh, “I’m sorry Mai but I can’t. I have a council meeting in thirty minutes I have to get ready for.” Zuko stood very slowly and cautiously only wincing slightly at the pain that shot through him. Before he left though he bent down to kiss Mai. But instead of turning to kiss Zuko, Mai turned her head away and very obviously scowled. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Zuko promised. Mai sighed for the umpteenth time and then turned to Zuko and kissed him. But Zuko could feel there was something wrong in that kiss. 

Mai was very obviously unhappy but Zuko didn’t have the time to talk with her about it. So instead he turned and went to go handle his responsibilities. It took a while to get dressed, even with the help of his servants but when every movement caused pain it was difficult to do much of anything. But from what he understood this was just going to be a part of his life now. 

He walked slowly out of his room and began making his way to the meeting. Most of the Nobles and officials would be there already and Zuko did not want to be late. On his way towards the gate in his courtyard, he noticed Lord Dozo waiting for him. 

“Fire Lord Zuko,” the man bowed respectfully. 

“Lord Dozo,” Zuko greeted. 

“I have heard rumors spreading around the palace that the assassin’s attack has done more than leave you with a simple injury.”

Zuko tried to keep the shock off of his face but, from the look Lord Dozo gave him, he could tell the man knew it was true. It shouldn’t have been a shock to Zuko, after all rumors spread around the palace like wildfire, and the fact that at least one of the dozen physicians he had seen had talked was not surprising. 

Zuko wracked his brain. There had to be a way to alleviate suspicion without going into a full-blown demonstration of his fire bending. “It’s nothing, the physicians merely want me to refrain from using my fire bending while my injuries heal.” Zuko panicked. It may have been too much information and what happened when his injuries healed and his fire bending still hurt? What would Lord Dozo and the other nobles do then?

Lord Dozo glanced around him and then in a hushed voice, he said, “I believe I know someone who can help you with your bending problem my lord. If you would like I can arrange a meeting but she will not be able to come until nightfall.”

Zuko couldn’t stop his surge of hope. If this woman could help then maybe he could deal with the situation before more people flocked to Azula’s banner. “Arrange the meeting Lord Dozo.” 

Zuko thought he saw Lord Dozo smile with what looked like a mix between relief and sheer joy but he quickly schooled his face back into an expressionless mask before Zuko could be sure. “Of course Fire Lord Zuko.”

And with that Zuko was left to wonder what sort of help this mystery girl could truly offer.


	3. Chapter 3

“After all these years I’m finally going to the palace,” Yzah thought to herself. She shifted her robe as she eyed her appearance in the mirror she was flooded with horrible thoughts. “What if I do something wrong or they find out who I am, and then I’m thrown in jail or worse executed or worse still my family suffers for my mistake.” As these thoughts bombarded Yzah she frantically “fixed” her appearance. She had to make a good impression today. If not just for her sake then for the sake of her entire family and everyone else like her. 

“Yzah,” her father’s strong commanding voice broke through her thoughts as he opened the door to her room. 

“Yes, father?”

“Come along we’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.” Yzah nodded and wordlessly grabbed her bag and threw on her veil before running out the door. Yzah had a special love-hate relationship with her veil. It was the pathway to her freedom but it was also a reminder of her differences. That while she could see the outside world when she wore this veil she could not be a part of it. The veil covered her whole face and through the thin material, she could see a blurry view of the outside world. 

What she saw was a group of servants and the palanquin ready and waiting, in the growing darkness of night. She loved the sunset, though she would not be enjoying it tonight. The ride would not take long as it was not far to the palace but with each moment Yzah could feel the tension twisting her stomach into knots. After all, this encounter could determine her fate for the rest of her life. 

Her father must have sensed her fear for he grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I know you will do well.” But despite her father’s confident tone and firm grip Yzah could tell, by the way he squeezed her hand until his own knuckles were white, that he was nervous as well. 

Soon they were at the palace gates. “Halt!” a loud commanding voice cried. Yzah felt herself stiffen at the voice and soon a palace guard was pulling back the curtain that separated the inside of the palanquin from the outside. “Lord Dozo,” the guard addressed her father, “we were told to expect you. Carry on.” 

As the curtain shifted back into place and the palanquin began moving again Yzah let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. It may have been silly, after all she was with her father, a well-respected nobleman and it was not as though they were under Fire Lord Ozaih’s rule anymore. But still, there was a fear that had been instilled in her for as long as she could remember and rightfully so. If anyone had discovered her when Fire Lord Ozaih had reigned she and her entire family would have suffered unimaginable torments. 

But now, she had a chance. A chance to make her life better and to enjoy the freedom that she had always longed for. She only hoped she wouldn’t screw it up.   
Again the palanquin stopped and Yzah and her father were stepping out. Yzah was struck by the massive size of the palace. There were large arches and long paths and broad courtyards and enormous buildings. Yzah knew that her home was large but in comparison to this place her home was a small shack. 

Suddenly she felt a tugging on her sleeve. Looking over she noticed her father looking rather impatient. “Hurry. We need to be there in ten minutes.”

Yzah followed her father, whose pace seemed to have doubled from earlier this morning. Yzah struggled to keep up with him as her bag slowed her down and she was still admiring the beauty of the gardens and the stonework and well, everything. By the time they had stopped Yzah was breathing heavily. 

She noticed there were many servants and guards bowing respectfully towards the building in which resided the man she was to see. Yzah adjusted her bag in her hands as her father went towards one of the servants and began talking to them. As she moved her bag she noticed that her palms were sweaty and she wondered if the sweat was from the power walk she had just taken or if it was due to the fear that was writhing in her stomach again. 

Her ears roared and she barely noticed that her father was motioning her to follow as he moved towards the front door of the building. Suddenly she found herself inside a room with a servant and no idea of how she had gotten there. 

“Wait here,” the servant said before moving on towards the door across the room. Yzah stayed where she was and looked around noticing her father waiting in the room behind her. She wanted to run over to where he was but something told her that was unwise so instead, she turned back and saw the servant helping Fire Lord Zuko limp into the room. 

It hurt Yzah’s heart to see the pain that crossed over the man’s face and were it her choice she would have run over to him and immediately begin healing him. But years of censure and caution told her it was unwise especially with both doors in the room open. So instead she waited there bowing respectfully. 

Once the Fire Lord had been seated he turned towards his servant and said, “Wait outside until I call.” The servant looked as though he wanted to argue but didn’t. Instead, he walked towards the room where her father was bowing and began closing the door. The last thing Yzah saw before being left alone with the Fire Lord was her father’s face silently encouraging her. But Yzah was not encouraged. All she could think about was, “What have I gotten myself into?”


	4. Chapter 4

Zuko regarded the girl standing in front of him. Much of her was obscured due to the long, loose robes she wore and the veil that covered her whole face. He began to wonder if this was not some secret plot to kill him but Lord Dozo had been unpopular during his father’s reign and had been quite supportive of many of his actions since becoming Fire Lord. 

Besides this girl’s stance was not the stance of a fighter. It rather told of fear and unease. “Lord Dozo has told me that you are the most skilled healer he has ever seen.” 

“Y..yes m’ lord” the girl’s pretty yet obviously frightened voice mumbled. 

Judging from the sound this girl was around sixteen years of age. “Tell me, if you are the best healer why is it that no one, save Lord Dozo has ever heard of you?” he baited.

“The reason, Fire Lord Zuko is that my method of healing was rather… unpopular during Fire Lord Ozaih’s rule. And so I have kept myself and my work hidden.” Zuko wondered what kind of healing his father would have disapproved of. What was so bad that this girl went around covered with a veil. But before he could ask any of these questions the girl grabbed the edges of her veil and lifted it revealing two blue eyes staring straight at him. 

Zuko looked into those blue eyes and then he was no longer in the palace but in the worker district. The smell of smoke and decay filled his senses and the sights around him echoed the smells. There was nothing pleasant about that place and yet she had gone there intentionally and willingly while he had stumbled there by accident after having visited his Uncle in jail. 

She had been there fighting to save lives while he had only cared about his personal desires. And when he saw the familiar blue glow that he had seen when he had fought Katara and seen her blue eyes he knew what she was. He knew that everyone in the worker district was hiding her and that he should turn her in. 

And for one moment he thought about doing just that. But when he saw her holding that boy’s hand, the worry and fear that were written all over her face, he couldn’t do it. So instead of marching in there and arresting her he turned and walked away. 

Then suddenly he was back in the palace with that same pair of blue eyes staring at him. They showed no sign of recognition but why would they? She had not seen him that day. “You’re from the Water Nation,” he whispered. The girl only nodded. It all made sense why she was going around covered by a veil. Why Lord Dozo had insisted to have him meet her alone and at this time of day. For despite Zuko’s declaration of peace and his acceptance of the other nations it was still wise to be cautious. “And you want to use water bending to heal me?” Again the girl only nodded. Zuko remembered what it was like when Katara healed him and for an instant hope flared within him that his problem would not be permanent. “What do you want me to do?”

The girl looked at him and Zuko could see the shock on her face. She was obviously not expecting him to accept the fact that she was a waterbender so easily. But she seemed to shake off her shock rather quickly and replied. “I’ll need to examine all your injuries so if you could strip…” 

As Zuko began to remove his tunic the girl set her bag down and then was pulling out random supplies. She then turned back to Zuko and began examining him. The way she eyed his injuries was rather off putting. It wasn’t as if she was being voyeuristic or in any way creepy. In fact, it was rather the opposite. She was being so professional that Zuko didn’t quite know what to do. After all, he was putting his fate in the hands of a girl who he did not know and who had every reason to hate him. 

Zuko thought about asking the girl some questions but before he could he felt the sensation of ice on his skin and he jumped away. “I’m sorry!” she suddenly spoke, “My hands have always been cold, especially this late in the evening.” She began rubbing her hands together frantically and a little while later she tried again. Her hands were still cold but they were no longer the miniature glaciers they had been earlier so Zuko tried to simply grin and bear it. After all, dressing and undressing the wounds was always painful so what was a little cold on top of that. 

But Zuko never felt the pain of his wounds being undressed. In fact, he didn’t feel the coldness of her touch either. Looking down he could see the wound from the assassin undressed and looking as nasty as when the healers had bandaged it up the first time.   
The girl didn’t seem grossed out by the deep wound that had almost cost Zuko his life nor did she seem affected by the scar on his chest that he had received during his fight with Azula. The girl merely examined the wound and then began water bending. 

Zuko had felt the effects of healing water bending before when Katara had healed him and the best he could describe it was a reduction in pain. But with this girl, it was completely different. Yes, there was a reduction in pain but there was something else as well. It was a tingling warmth and Zuko rather enjoyed the sensation. 

When she had finished water bending Zuko noticed that the large gaping wound had been reduced in size considerably and the stitches that had held it together were almost certainly no longer necessary. The healer must have agreed because she went to her bag and fished out a pair of very small scissors. 

Zuko watched as she worked and noticed the slightly furrowed brow that formed as she concentrated. Her fingers moved swiftly, expertly removing the stitches. Soon she was finishing up bandaging the wound and Zuko was amazed at how skilled she was at such a young age compared to the other healers he had seen.   
Even without her bending, he was sure she would quickly become a renowned healer. But then he thought of her eyes. Maybe she wouldn’t. After all Zuko had declared peace and had started closing the gap between the different nations but the people of the Fire Nation were not likely to forget the indoctrination they had been brainwashed with since before his father’s reign. There were so many reasons why the war between nations had been a terrible thing and this was one of them. With all this girl’s skills, she might have been able to heal the scar his father had given him had she been given the chance. 

As Zuko was contemplating this the healer broke into his thoughts, “Would you mind laying down for me? Face down please.” For a moment Zuko looked at her rather confused. He had assumed they were done when she had finished with the scar from his battle with Azula. “There is only one more thing I wanted to do, sire.”

Zuko shrugged, if he had listened to her so far why not listen to her now? So Zuko laid down and he was not disappointed. The warm tingling sensation of her water bending returned and the sensation of a massage accompanied it. However, it was unlike any massage he had ever received in his life. As she worked it felt as though she were working away every stressful thing Zuko had to worry about. He could feel the energy in his body reacting to her bending and beginning to flow along with her fluid movements. And then all too soon it was over. 

She began packing up her supplies as Zuko laid there the most relaxed and energized he had ever felt. He didn’t want to move and yet he knew that there were things that needed to be done. So he sat up and began donning his tunic again. The pain that had accompanied these movements before was all but gone. 

“Is there anything else you need of me my lord?”

Zuko smiled. She was asking whether or not he wanted her to return. She was still being cautious despite having trusted him with her secret. “Not today. When will you be returning?”

Zuko caught the faintest of smiles as she donned her veil and replied, “I can return tomorrow if you would like.”

Zuko nodded, “The same time?”

“If that is agreeable to you Fire Lord.”

“It is.” With that, she turned to leave and Zuko thought for a moment that she had not been dismissed when another thought struck him. “Wait, before you leave, what is your name?”

“Yzah Tono.” And with that, she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as Yzah stepped out of the Fire Lord’s courtyard with her father she collapsed. Bending was always tiring, but this time she had put her all into helping Fire Lord Zuko. As a result, her head was spinning, her limbs felt like lead, and all Yzah wanted to do was sleep until next year. 

Around her, she could faintly hear the sounds of people talking and she felt the sensation of being held in someone’s arms. The feeling was warm and safe and she closed her eyes.

Sometime later Yzah heard, as though through a tunnel, “Yzah! Is that you? Are you alright?” Yzah tried to lift her head to see who it was but that movement sent her head spinning and the noise sounded as though it were coming from a long way away. All around her, she could hear the sounds of people but she was so tired she surrendered to sleep. 

When Yzah opened her eyes again her veil was gone and she was no longer laying in the dirt. Instead, she was lying quite comfortably in her own bed. She moved to try and sit up but that attempt sent her head spinning again and she could see stars. 

“Oh good, you’re awake. Nako! Nako she’s awake!” the familiar voice of Toze rang out beside her. 

Yzah was always amazed by her maid’s quick response time and this was no exception. Within five seconds of being called Nako was beside Yzah’s bed with hot tea already prepared. 

“How are you feeling?” Nako inquired with that same look that told Yzah she was both worried and relieved. 

Trying again to sit up Yzah weekly replied, “Tired and hungry. How long was I asleep?”

Nako helped Yzah to sit up as she said, “No more than an hour. I’ll go fetch you some food while you drink this tea.”

Yzah nodded and began gently sipping her tea. It was warm and refreshing and the ginseng in it would help her gain some energy. 

“Well, how did it go?” Yzah turned to answer the question and to her surprise she found her father and her two brothers, Toze and Miku all sitting there looking worried, excited, and tired. 

Toze, at fourteen years old, was tall and boyish. His impetuous grin was missing at the moment but Yzah knew that it would soon return. His long dark hair and golden eyes reminded Yzah of their mother, while his dark skin, the only part of his Water Tribe heritage that was visible to the world, was only slightly darker than a noble’s skin ought to be. 

Miku, who was only five years old, was rubbing his blue eyes as though he had just woken up. Yzah had no doubt that he had been sleeping beside her bed waiting to hear all about her trip to the palace. Yzah was often sad that Miku shared her fate of blue eyes and had regularly wished when he was born, that his blue eyes would change to brown or gold. But they had stayed that same sky blue with only a few golden flecks. 

Father sat with Miku on his lap and was looking the most distraught out of all of them. It made sense though. Miku was too young to understand the effect her actions would have on all of them. And while Toze had a better understanding even he could not fully understand the consequences of her actions. 

Yzah set down her cup and alleviated her father’s fears, “He wants me to return.” 

Father sagged visibly with relief, “Good. Good!” He then stood up and brought Miku over to her bed and hugged her and her brothers in one big family hug. “This is wonderful news.”

When the hug was over Miku rubbed his eyes again and in a sleepy voice asked, “Did you help the Fire Lord feel better?”

Yzah smiled at her brother and kissed him before replying, “Yes. I made the Fire Lord feel much better.”

”So he isn’t going to hurt you or take you away?”

“No Miku. No one is going to take me away.”

Miku’s face lit up like a beacon and he grabbed Yzah in a hug so tight Yzah almost forgot how to breathe. “Good,” he yawned. 

“I brought some broth,” Nako announced. 

Father stood, “Good. I think we shall leave you to eat and then rest.”

Toze nodded and grabbed Miku, “Come on Miku time for bed.”

“But I don’t want to leave. I’m not tired,” Miku protested. 

“Now Miku,” Nako whispered conspiratorially, “Yzah needs to eat and rest and you can’t be in here disturbing her, or she won’t get better. But if you go to bed like a good boy then you can come back here and see her first thing in the morning.”

Miku’s demeanor changed and suddenly he was dragging Toze out of the room while they both shouted, “Good night! See you in the morning.” 

Father was the last to leave the room and he kissed Yzah on the head before saying, “I’m so proud of you. You were so brave to go in there all by yourself. Now get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight father.”

“Goodnight my little pearl.”

And with that Yzah was left with Nako and her soup. While Yzah ate Nako made sure that everything was absolutely perfect. The amount of blankets Yzah had the temperature in the room, the proper angle of her pillows. Yzah could tell that she had worried Nako as well and while she didn’t want to worry the woman it was inevitable. Nako had practically raised her and was in as much danger as the rest of them if Yzah failed. But it was more than that. Nako had been with Yzah since she was a baby and despite Yzah and Miku’s blue eyes she loved and cared about both of them. There was a bond and trust that she and Yzah shared that had gotten Yzah through many of the tough moments of her life. 

But now was not the time to dwell on her love for Nako. Now was the time to eat and then sleep. So Yzah finished up her broth and even though she wanted more she thought it best not to overeat and then lose it in the middle of the night. Yzah laid down and barely managed to say, “Thank you Nako,” before she fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

When Zuko opened his eyes he still felt the same relaxing calm he had felt last night. The tension and pain were almost completely gone and he was convinced that was the best night's sleep of his entire life. 

After Zuko ate and was dressed for the day he headed off towards the court. There was much to be done today and for once he felt as though he might have the strength to accomplish it. 

“Fire Lord Zuko, my I say you look very refreshed this morning,” Lord Dozo bowed as Zuko exited his courtyard. 

Zuko smiled thoughtfully. Lord Dozo certainly knew how to strike while the iron was hot. Right at the beginning of the day when Zuko would be feeling the best was the perfect time to remind him who had made it possible. “I feel quite refreshed this morning Lord Dozo.”

Lord Dozo’s joy was unmistakable as he replied, “Well then if I’m not being too presumptuous I believe you should continue with whatever has affected this change.”

“I thank you Lord Dozo. I think I will try it again tonight.”

“As you wish Fire Lord.”

And with that, the two proceeded to the court. Zuko was quite thrilled to make use of Yzah’s talents again tonight but in the meantime, there was much to get done. His problems were being solved but the problems of the Nation still needed solutions. 

The man waited and watched. His duty was to see if anyone visited the Fire Lord’s chambers tonight. So far the Fire Lord was the only one to return but the night was young. It was a cool summer evening and the wind blew gently through the trees. 

From his vantage point in the tree, he should be both well-hidden and able to see everything but he needed to be careful. After the recent attack on the Fire Lord, the palace was more tightly guarded and if he was caught he would almost certainly be killed. 

The man was prepared to wait all night but he did not have to. Soon after the sun had set two people entered into the Fire Lord’s courtyard. The taller figure was obviously a nobleman, based on his clothing, though which nobleman he couldn’t tell. The other was a young girl. Her practical clothes very effectively flattered her, petite, yet, shapely figure. Her face was covered by a veil and her long black hair was tied back into one simple braid. 

“Bingo,” he thought to himself. The rumors about the Fire Lord having taken a concubine seemed to be accurate. No doubt the nobleman had found a girl who had caught the young Fire Lord’s eye and was using the situation to curry favor. Not an unwise move but with the Fire Lord dating Mistress Mai it was very unwise of the Fire Lord. 

He had seen what happened when the young Mistress had become angry and it was not a pleasant sight to behold. A little over thirty minutes later the young girl and the nobleman left the house. The girl stumbled as she walked and the nobleman caught her before she could fall.

The man smirked, so that is how the Fire Lord liked it. Personally he preferred a softer touch in that area but to each their own. After the two left he waited for a few hours to be sure that no other guests arrived, but none did. 

Well, now he had to report to the madam. This was not going to be a pleasant experience, that much was certain.


	7. Chapter 7

When Yzah awoke she was famished. But that was a good sign. Last time she had been so weak she had emptied her stomach of all it’s contents before she was able to attempt eating again. This time she had been able to walk back to the palanquin on her own two feet and she felt as though she had more energy.

Nako, as always, had anticipated Yzah’s need and was already setting up her breakfast beside her. 

“Goodmorning Miss. How are you feeling this morning?”

Before Yzah could respond her stomach growled, “I think there’s your answer.”

Nako nodded and handed Yzah her bowl of rice porridge. Instead of fussing as she had done yesterday Nako merely sat and waited. From the way, Nako was fidgeting Yzah could tell her maid wanted to say something. “What is it?”

“How was it? With the Fire Lord, I mean. Did he seem pleased?”

Yzah smiled to herself. Of course, Nako wanted details. In this world, there were two things that Nako excelled at. The first was anticipating Yzah. The second was gossiping. The woman was able to find out the most horrifying secrets, though how she found the time to ferret out these secrets Yzah would never know. But to Nako’s credit, she could keep a secret once she had found it. After all, she had kept Yzah a secret for seventeen years. 

“It went well. I think he is very pleased with the results.”

“What was he like?”

“He was… not what I expected. Though no one would have expected the son of Fire Lord Ozaih to be so understanding and open to other cultures. And despite his injuries, he maintained a regalness. And last night he began asking me about myself.”

“Like what?” Nako asked, her curiosity seeming to grow with each passing moment. 

“He asked about how I came to the fire nation, where I learned my bending, where I met Father. Those sorts of things.” 

“What did you say? Surely not the truth.” 

“No not the whole truth. Father and I decided we couldn’t lie to the Fire Lord, so I told him that how I met Father was his story to tell. He also asked about my name so I told him the truth, that Yzah was my mother’s name and that Tono was grandmother’s name which is why one is a Fire Nation name and the other is a Water Tribe name.”

“Were you very when he started asking questions?” Nako asked her eyes wide as saucers. 

Grabbing Nako’s hand and squeezing it reassuringly Yzah stated, “I have been scared this entire time. So yes I was scared but no more than when I walked into his room the first time.” 

Nako’s face morphed from one of shock and curiosity into one of mischief, “Going to the Fire Lord’s room two nights in a row. If I didn’t know any better I would say there was something else going on there.” When Yzah looked at Nako thoroughly confused by her meaning Nako’s grin only grew wider, “That you two were threading the needle, my lady. And not the sewing one.”

Yzah sat there still unsure as to what Nako meant when it suddenly hit her. “Nako!” Yzah shouted indignantly. The thought of doing...that...with the Fire Lord was shocking. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and it didn’t help that Nako was giggling furiously. 

Sure, Fire Lord Zuko was a very attractive young man, but he was one of her patients. And no noble, let alone the Fire Lord, would ever consider that with her because of her tainted blood. Why was she still thinking about this?

Yzah shook her head as if to get those thoughts out of it, but the more she tried not to think about it the more she did. Thankfully, mercifully, Toze, and Miku walked in at that point providing a welcomed distraction.

“Goodmorning,” Toze greeted cheerfully as he dragged a still half asleep Miku along with him. 

“Goodmorning Toze. Goodmorning Miku.” 

Miku looked up at Yzah through bleary eyes and mumbled a quiet, “morning.” 

Yzah couldn’t help but laugh at Miku. He was the only one in the family who did not like mornings. Just like mother. There was so much in Miku that reminded Yzah of their mom. 

“How did it go last night?” Toze questioned, which sent Nako into a mercifully quieter fit of giggles. 

Yzah felt that same heat rise again and managed to say in a fairly level voice, “Thank you Nako. You may leave until I have need of you again.”

Nako stood and bowed but her shoulders shook even as she left the room. Toze eyed the woman as she left the room and then eyed Yzah as though he might ask what was so funny but thankfully he did not. Instead, he asked again, “How did it go?”

“It went quite well. The Fire Lord was very pleased with the results from the previous night,” Yzah managed to say without blushing.

“So do you think that you’ll be able to go outside soon?”

Yzah could feel the hope rising within her but she quickly squashed it down with reason and logic, “Father said that while this bodes well it’s better to wait and be patient. Let the Fire Lord come to us. After all, he’s been on the throne for a little over a week. That alone is not enough to know the man’s character. Speaking of which, where is Father?” 

“He left early this morning. Apparently there was some financial business he had to attend to before going to the palace. He said he won’t be back until late tonight.”

Yzah thought about what she was going to do today. After all, there were no plans for her to return to the palace tonight and she had other healing duties to attend to. “I need to go visit them,” she thought to herself, “I haven’t gone in three days and they’re sure to be worried.” But there was quite a bit of time between now and her leaving, so she would rest up and enjoy some time with her brothers.


	8. Chapter 8

Mai was furious. First, he had broken up with her to help the Avatar and now that they are back together he has the gall to get a concubine! There were no words that could express how ticked off she was. When she had first received the report that the girl and noble had gone into Zuko’s rooms she wanted to march right over there and give that boy what for. But she knew that it wouldn’t have done anything. By the time she had reached the palace Zuko would most likely be asleep and then she would have to stand out in the cold until he had awoken the next morning. 

So instead Mai spent the night steeping in her anger and as soon as the sun rose she set out for the palace. Now she was standing outside of Zuko’s rooms waiting to be let inside. She had half a mind to march in without permission but she had waited this long. 

Soon the servant returned, “The Fire Lord will see you now.”

Mai brushed past the man and barged in, “Zuko how dare you.”

Zuko looked at Mai, his confusion was palpable, “Mai what… What’s wrong?”

“First you dump me with a letter and now that we’ve fixed that problem you have the gall to get a concubine,” Mai intoned. 

Zuko’s face morphed from one of confusion to one of shock, “Mai what are you… How did you… Where...?”

Mai cut off Zuko’s confused babbling. “Don’t try to deny it Zuko,” her calm voice and posture belied her true feelings. “I heard the rumors yesterday. Everyone in the court was talking about it. So I sent someone to watch you yesterday, and what do you know. A young girl showed up to your rooms last night and she stayed for half an hour before leaving.”

The two sat in silence as Zuko seemed to digest what it was that Mai was saying. “Mai I didn’t... She wasn’t…”

“I can see you’re very articulate this morning,” Mai’s dry sarcasm cutting off Zuko again. 

“Mai I don’t have a concubine,” Zuko finally managed to complete his sentence.

Mai rolled her eyes at Zuko, “Right Zuko, lie about it too. That will make it all better.”

“Mai that girl was a healer. She was trying to help me.”

“If you needed that kind of ‘healing’ then you should have asked me, not gone looking for some hussy trying to win some points with the new Fire Lord.”

At this Zuko’s face flushed though whether it was from anger, embarrassment, or maybe both Mai couldn’t tell. “Mai do you really think I had the strength to get into that sort of activity two days ago? You saw my injuries, what they did to me. That girl was a water bender and a healer and she helped me, Mai.”

For one second Mai paused, it made sense. Zuko had barely been able to stand two days ago, and now he was not only standing but he seemed more vibrant? Than he had ever been. Plus Mai had heard of the power of water bending healers. So maybe it was true.

Before she could articulate a response Zuko continued, "When I came back the first time the only person I had was you. Do you think that I would jeopardize everything we have with something so stupid? Do you think so little of me?"

"Well, I didn't… Gosh, I don't need this drama." 

Zuko looked like he was going to say something but he never got the chance. Instead, a servant walked in and announced, "Fire Lord Zuko, Captain Jah is here to see you."

"I'm sorry Mai I have to deal with this. Can we finish this up later?"

Mai couldn't have held back her sigh if she'd wanted to, which she didn't. "Whatever," was all she said before marching out of Zuko's chambers.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry it took me so long to update, but school has been killing me and then my beta reader went AWOL for a little while. However, we are back now. I also wanted to mention that I made a slight change to the timeline of the story. For those of you who have read the chapters as I have posted you will remember I mentioned it only being a week since Zuko took the throne. I realized this wouldn't work with the things I had planned so it is now about three and a half months. Thank you for your patients and understanding and enjoy :)

Yzah could barely keep herself from running as she made her way towards the factory district. It had been so hard not to come and visit them over the last few days, especially since she had heard about the factory shutdowns. But her father had told her to go heal the Fire Lord and it was both her duty to obey and it made sense to use the opportunity to make him more sympathetic towards the other nations. But it didn’t make the feeling of abandoning her friends any less keen.

Now she was finally headed back to help them and she only prayed that nothing serious had happened while she was gone. She wanted to sprint over to the factory district but that would draw attention to herself which is something to be avoided at all costs. After all, any Xenophobic radical who saw her could hurt her and she had very little with which to defend herself.

Yzah shook her head. Who cared about some imaginary person who might possibly try to hurt her. What mattered was the people who did exist who she was going to see. Thankfully it didn't take much longer to get to the edge of the factory district. 

She took her customary route past the watch dog and through the alley. The route was so familiar that Yzah could have walked it blindfolded. This alley made sure that no guards would even see her shadow, which wasn't hard considering the factory district had never been a priority for the city guard under Fire Lord Ozai. And yet today something felt off. 

It didn't take long to figure out why. As Yzah walked down the alley she noticed the uniform of a guard. Yzah paused for a second as she processed that information before turning on her heel and marching the opposite direction. Yzah made it maybe thirty feet before she ran into another guard. 

Yzah walked along the perimeter of the factory district and discovered there were five times as many guards as usual. Yzah didn't know what to do. There was no way she could sneak past them into the factory district without them noticing her, which should be avoided at all costs. However, she had to get into the district. 

She looked around and around hoping there was some way to get in. She thought about just trying to walk straight past the guards, but if there were more of them they might be trying to keep people out as well as keep people in. Yzah sighed and looked up and suddenly it hit her. It was stupid and wreckless but it was her way in. 

If there were more guards on the ground, she would just have to go over them. The houses of the factory district were densely packed and she should be able to hop from roof to roof until she made it. The only difficult part would be jumping past the guards without them noticing her since the gap between the house closest to the factory district and the first house in the factory district was significant. 

The large walkway was where most of the guards were standing and it was what separated the factory district from the artisan district. The walkway was almost ten feet across and there was no way that she could jump that distance without the guards noticing, unless… Yzah grinned wickedly. 

She marched back over to where the guard dog was tied up. Yzah didn’t know the dog’s name but she knew it was the meanest animal you could ever meet, until you earned it’s trust. Luckily for her, Yzah had done just that. After years of passing the dog by and most of the time bringing it treats it would sit up and wag its tail, instead of growling and barking whenever she passed by. To other people though, it was vicious and cruel. Yzah knew it was mean to let the dog loose on the guards but she had to get into the factory district, and desperate times called for desperate measures. 

She walked over to the dog, apologizing in advance to whoever owned this beast, and then untied the rope that kept him close to the house. At first the animal didn’t know what to do with his freedom. He looked to Yzah expectedly but she didn’t have time for him anymore. She quickly began climbing the building. She didn’t know how long it would take for the dog to start looking around and hopefully distract the guard so she had to get to the roof before then. 

This proved more difficult than she imagined in part thanks to her large medicine bag and also because of her lack of climbing knowledge. Yzah, however, would not be beaten. She grasped and clawed her way up until she finally was crawling up onto the roof. 

Yzah sighed in relief as she looked down towards the ground, and wondered why people thought climbing was fun? As she looked at the ground she noticed the guard dog had finally stopped staring at Yzah and had begun sniffing around the alleyway. Then suddenly he barked and began sprinting towards where the guards were posted. Yzah ran across the roof and peaked over to see the dog growling menacingly at the guard. 

She didn’t bother to watch and see what happened next, even though she was morbidly curious. Instead she threw her bag across the walkway. Yzah then watched as it sailed through the air, praying that it would make it, and landed on the other roof. Then she stared down at the ground. If she missed and fell onto the ground she would most likely be hurt and would then have to explain herself to the guards. She gulped back the fear that was rising in her throat. This was stuipd and reckless. But she realized she didn’t have time to worry about that. She was already halfway. All she needed to do was take the plunge and jump across. Or at least, attempt to jump across. Could she even make it that far? 

Yzah shook her head. She had to try. She backed up to the opposite end of the roof. She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest and her hands shaking, before she began sprinting across the roof. 

With each step Yzah could feel the fear rise. Why was she doing this? Because there were people who needed her help. After so long, how could she abandon them now? Finally Yzah reached the edge of the roof and for one split second she thought about stopping, but that was all it lasted before she lifted her legs into the air and jumped. 

Yzah was only in the air for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity passed her by, as her momentum carried her across the walkway. The feeling of soaring through the air was both freeing and terrifying. She wondered if this was how birds felt when they flew. Both wonderfully free with the fear that at any moment they might fall. 

Then, all too soon, the feeling of freedom vanished as Yzah realized she wasn’t going to make it. Her feet were already below the roof of the other house and she still hadn’t reached it. Still, desperate not to fall, Yzah reached out with her hands and grasped for the roof. She hit the house hard with her arms resting on the roof and the rest of her dangling off of it. The pain of hitting the building almost caused her to let go, but somehow she managed to hold on. 

Yzah struggled and grasped as she tried to get onto the roof. She didn’t have much time left, before someone would notice her. So with one final burst of adrenaline she heaved herself onto the roof. 

Yzah laid there for several seconds as her chest heaved. She made it. She was in the factory district.


	10. Chapter 10

Zuko sighed. There was nothing he could do. Everything seemed to be going wrong today. When Mai had marched into his chambers this morning he should have taken that as a sign. After he had managed to defuse that situation Captain Jah had brought a report on the factory district which did not contain good news. There were thirteen more injured guards at least two of which were critical. The instigators were in prison waiting to be tried but they were only a symptom of the true problem. 

Then after that one of the delegates from Ba Sing Se demanded reparations from the Fire Nation, and not long after that all the other cities and nations began demanding reparations, which the Fire Nation could not afford to pay all of them. 

The officials also managed to bring up the rumors about him and a concubine. Not everyone believed the rumors but enough of the officials did that they were turning it into another headache for Zuko to deal with, as many of them began recommending other ladies for his harem. 

To be perfectly honest Zuko wanted to curl up in his bed and hide until all his problems went away, but that wasn’t an option. He had fought for this throne and now he had to deal with all of the perks and all of the downsides. 

At least, he thought, he could handle the concubine issue. Yzah was very skilled and with her abilities he could easily offer her the position of court healer, and if she was a court healer then there would be no reason she couldn’t come visit and heal him. This solution did present some problems as many of the officials might not appreciate having someone from the water tribes having an official position in court, but it would solve more problems than it would create. 

Zuko rubbed his shoulders as he thought of the young healer. The first time she had come to heal him all Zuko could think about was his memory of her in the factory district and how ashamed he felt because of it. He had been so selfish during that time and she had been selfless. 

Now he saw more than just her blue eyes and the shameful memory. He saw her bravery. Her willingness to help people despite the fact that they could turn on her at any moment. She was fascinating and the more he learned about her the more he wanted to learn, but that would have to wait until later. For the moment he had to take care of his girlfriend.

He had set aside a little under an hour to eat lunch and after this morning Zuko realized he hadn’t spent much time with Mai since becoming Fire Lord. It was difficult finding the time to spend with her though. There were a million things to do every day and taking time off to go watch his girlfriend hate the world or order servants to do crazy things was not as entertaining as it had been when they first started dating. 

Instead of laughing at the ridiculous things that the servants did Zuko began to feel sorry for them. They were people who had many duties and responsibilities and it was unfair to laugh at their expense, but Mai enjoyed it so Zuko wasn’t going to tell her to stop. Telling Mai to do, or not do anything would be detrimental to his health. 

Zuko walked to where he had told Mai to meet him. It was the same place they had their date where they told each other they didn’t hate each other. The servants had put together a picnic and had spread out the lunch and a blanket in a beautiful array. 

There in the middle of it was Mai who looked less than enthused. It wasn’t an abnormal look for the girl, but something about her expression looked odd. Maybe it was the fact that here she was in the middle of a diverse and delicious spread of food on a beautiful spot looking detached and disinterested. 

“Hi,” Zuko greeted as he sat down.

“Hi,” Mai intoned. 

The date continued rather poorly from there. Mai was uninterested in the spot that Zuko had picked for the date, as there was, “Nothing to do,” and, “The wind sucks up here.” Finally Zuko asked what Mai wanted to do instead and she demanded they go inside. 

At this point Zuko was trying to contain his anger. Mai was being a royal pain and he had gone to the effort to make the date happen, but he went along with her to his chambers. There the two sat down cuddled on the couch and Mai began ordering the servants around. 

“Go catch a turtle duck. Fetch me thirteen spoons. Hold that vase over your head.” And on Mai went ordering the servants around. Honestly the position might have been romantic if Mai wasn’t so preoccupied with making the servants do ridiculous things. 

Then a servant burst into Zuko’s chambers and ran straight over. Zuko didn’t need the man to say anything, he already knew what was wrong since this servant was the runner for the factory sergeant. Something bad was happening in the Factory district and Zuko had to go deal with it now. 

Zuko stood despite Mai’s sounds of protest, “I’m sorry Mai I have to go.”

Mai looked at Zuko rather unimpressed and replied, “Whatever.”

As Zuko power walked with the servant he thought about the date and he wondered if he was almost grateful for the excuse to get out of it. What a terrible thought, being grateful for an emergency, but despite that Zuko was grateful. Though, for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. Why was he glad to be away from a date with his girlfriend?


	11. Chapter 11

When Yzah walked into the clinic she was shocked. The room was filled to the brim with patients. There were so many sleeping mats that there was no space between any of them and many of them had multiple patients to a mat. 

Yzah looked around and saw that many of them were burned and all of them were thinner than ever. Yzah was used to seeing thin people. The factory district was full to the brim with people who needed more food or who needed medicine. But this… this was worse than usual. 

“Yzah?” A voice questioned. Looking up Yzah saw Uso standing in the doorway to the storage room. 

“Uso, what’s going on here?”

Uso looked at Yzah with a mix between anger and sadness. “Once the factories shut down people started to panic. Everyone was worried about food and water. You know how many of us live from payment to payment. Soon after the shutdown people started to riot. They broke into people’s homes and took everything. Some people were stabbed over a crust of bread. Soon after the riots started the guards came in to subdue them, but they just ended up escalating things.

“Now we’re filled to capacity and there are more who need help. I’ve had to turn so many aside because I don’t have room for any more.” 

Yzah looked over Uso. The young man sagged as though there were a great weight on his shoulders and there were circles under his eyes. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in days which was most likely the case. 

“How are you doing with supplies?”

“We’re almost out of bandages, and burn cream, and pain medicine, and we’re out of food. I don’t have enough supplies for everyone and I’ve already sent over forty people home.”

Yzah held up her bag, “I don’t know if it's enough but it’s a start.” Then rolling up her sleeves Yzah walked towards the first patient, “Let’s get started.”

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 

Hours later Yzah had finally finished with everyone who had come to the clinic. She had been able to send some of them home, but many of them would have to stay until they were better. 

Yzah let out a long deep breath. There were still more patients to see. Uso had sent some people home and some of them were going to be too weak to come in themselves. 

Things were not looking good in the factory district, and without a source of income for these people things were only going to get worse. There had to be a way to help these people besides just bandaging their wounds and sending them out again to starve, or get hurt again. Yes healing them was important but Yzah knew that this was only the surface. 

Putting that train of thought to the side for a moment Yzah started to stand. Her limbs were heavy and she felt as though she could sleep for an eternity. She had healed so many people today, she didn’t know if she had the strength to heal anyone else, but she had to try. 

Yzah looked over at Uso. The man was exhausted and he needed his rest. There was food in the clinic, thanks to Yzah giving him supplies, but knowing Uso he had given most of it away. 

Yzah leaned against the wall as she fought gravity and her exhaustion to stand. When she finally managed to stand she shook her sleeping limbs and began to grab what few supplies were left so she could help the people who weren’t here. She made a list in her head of the most important supplies that she needed to bring tomorrow. On the top of that list was burn cream, bandages, and food. There was so much though that was needed. It might take her fifteen trips just to get enough for the people right now not to mention how much more would be needed as this went on. 

“Where are you going with all that?” Uso questioned as his eyes were half closed. 

“There are people out there who still need help Uso. I need to go to them.”

Yzah didn’t think Uso had any strength left in him, but was proven wrong when the man was suddenly standing directly in front of Yzan, “No you can’t go out there.”

“What? Why not?”

“Yzah, people out there are desperate. If you go out there by yourself with all those supplies they will try and take it from you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Yzah gawked at Uso. He knew that every time she came out here she was taking a risk, but now he wanted her to run away and hide because of a little danger? “Uso, I’ll be fine. Everyone knows me. They aren’t going to hurt me. I’ll go out and help them and then head home and be back tomorrow with more supplies.”

“Yzah no. You don’t know how desperate some of these people are. Not even you are safe anymore.”

Yzah shook her head, “I need to go Uso. Those people out there need my help.”

“Yzah you can barely stand. Go home, get some rest and more supplies and try again tomorrow.” Yzah wanted to tell Uso off and stubbornly head out anyways, but he was right. She was tired. The last few days she had pushed herself so hard in order to help the Fire Lord and then today she had helped dozens of patients. Even if she made it out to the people who needed her she might not be able to help them. “Alright?”

“Alright,” Yzah capitulated. She needed to find a way to help these people. There was only so much she could do as a bender, and that was only treating the symptoms and not the disease. She had to find a new source of income for these people.

As Yzah thought about the predicament she heard sounds of a scuffle outside. She and Uso looked at each other in confused unison and began heading out towards the noise. When they reached the sounds Yzah saw a large group of people gathering and in the center was the Foreman and a man Yzah didn’t recognize. 

Yzah couldn’t hear what the two were talking about over the din of the crowd, but as she stepped out into the street one of the crowd pointed at Yzah and shouted, “There she is!”

Several members of the crowd began pushing towards the clinic while the Foreman and several others began pushing them away from the clinic. “Let us at her,” one man exclaimed. “She’s sure to be worth something to someone.”

“Enough!” the Foreman commanded. “You all know that Yzah has helped either you or someone you care about, and now that things are tough you would repay her kindness with treachery? Yes we are all hungry and we need money, but how can we alienate the person who has helped us through so much? How can we turn on the person who has saved our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters, our fathers and mothers?” The Foreman paused letting his words sink in before turning to the man who was no doubt the other side’s leader.

The man looked at the Foreman and then at Yzah, “Fine! But when your family starts dying of hunger you’ll see I’m right.” The man then glowered at Yzah before turning and marching away. Soon after the crowd dispersed until all that was left was the Foreman, Yzah, and Uso. 

The Foreman turned to Yzah and she asked him, “What was that all about?”

Foreman shrugged, “Je was just scared. He’s afraid like so many that we’ll end up starving to death and no one will do anything about it. So he decided to try and ransom you off. Not that he’d know who to ransom you to, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t desperate enough to try.

Yzah shivered with the thought, “Are people really that scared?” 

“Well thankfully they still have some reason left in them, but we’ve never faced this sort of uncertainty before. I’m afraid it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Yzah looked at Foreman. He was a strong charismatic leader, but his brow was furrowed with fear and worry. If he was worried it was a bad sign, but who could blame him? Who could blame any of them? It had been two months since the factory had been shut down and none of them had any income. If they didn’t find a new source of income things were only going to get worse. Yzah looked to the Foreman and Uso. There had to be a way to help them.


	12. Chapter 12

Zuko sighed with contentment as Yzah finished her ministrations. It had been almost a week since Yzah had come to heal him. Again he felt as though he was on top of the world and all the worry and fear just melted away. 

“Is there anything else my Lord?” Yzah questioned. 

“Yes actually,” Zuko turned towards a servant, “Go fetch Lord Dozo.” The servant bowed and hastily fetched the nobleman. 

Lord Dozo came in and bowed, “You summoned me Fire Lord?”

“Yes, I would like to propose something and I thought you would like to be here for it.” Then Zuko turned to Yzah and asked, “Would you like to become a court physician?”

Silence permeated the room. Lord Dozo’s face was mixed with joy and shock and he looked towards Yzah expectantly, but Yzah said nothing. Her face was expressionless and she refused to look at Zuko. 

Zuko couldn’t know but inside her head a torrent of thoughts rushed around. She thought of the great honor the Fire Lord had shown her by offering her the position. This was probably the greatest thing that could ever happen to her. With a position as a court healer she could walk through the palace with her head uncovered. She would no longer have to sneak in to heal the Fire Lord, and her father would benefit as well as Miku, who could probably go out and see the world. 

There were so many reasons to accept, and yet she also thought of the factory district. The men and women who were starving. They were desperate and they needed help. If she became a court physician she would be expected here every day. There would be no time for her to go and help. They would suffer for her gain. She couldn’t leave them to their fate. There was Eniya who’s triplets she had delivered. There was Ykoru and Myh who’s legs had been crushed by a falling beam, who with months of work on both her part and theirs had been able to walk again. There was Neirso whom she had found in that shack. There were too many to count. How could she abandon them? 

Then there was the Fire Lord. Here he was a man with abundant wealth and too many healers and physicians to count. His medicine was the best in the land, and his physicians were the most knowledgeable men and women there were. 

“No,” Yzah whispered.

Fire Lord Zuko stared at her in disbelief while Lord Dozo rebuked, “Yzah!” 

Yzah whipped her head towards her father, “No I won’t!” Then she turned back towards Fire Lord Zuko and with a polite bow and in a much more respectful tone she began, “I thank you Fire Lord, however, I cannot accept.” 

Yzah could see her father wanted to yell at her, but he couldn’t in the Fire Lord’s presence. She knew, though, that she would get a firm reprimand once they had left the palace. 

“And why not?” Fire Lord Zuko asked.

Yzah thought about her words. She had to choose them carefully or she could get herself and her family in trouble. “I cannot because I would be abandoning the people of the factory district my lord. I have healed and care for them for so many years I cannot leave them despite the honorable and prestigious position you have offered.” Yzah could almost feel the daggers her father’s stare was shooting at her, but she held steadfast despite the fear roiling in her stomach. Standing between the two men who both wanted her to accept made Yzah feel like she was going to be sick on the Fire Lord’s floor, but she was stubborn despite the feeling. 

“What if…” the Fire Lord began, “What if you were here only some days. You could have the official position, but only come into the palace three days a week. Then you could still help those in the factory district. You could even get a pass to be allowed past the guards guarding the district.”

If Yzah was afraid before she was dumbfounded now. The offer was too good to be true. She was far too shocked to form any sort of coherent sentence. Then she felt her father nudge her, “Yzah?” His tone was that of a question but Yzah knew her father well enough to understand the message. He meant, “Accept the Fire Lord’s offer or you will not enjoy the consequences.” 

Yzah nodded, “Thank you Fire Lord that is most generous.”

“Then?”

“I will happily accept.” Yzah couldn’t have known it at the time, but those four words were the beginning of the greatest adventure of her life.


End file.
